Cuccìa

Name: Cuccìa
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Siciliana
Ingredients: 250 g Wheat berries; 400 g sheep's ricotta; 140 g caster sugar; 60 g dark chocolate chips; 50 g candied orange peel; 50 g zuccata (candied pumpkin); 0.5 tsp Ground cinnamon; 1 pinch Fine sea salt

A traditional Sicilian sweet made with tender boiled wheat berries folded into sweetened sheep's ricotta, dark chocolate, candied fruit, and cinnamon.

🇮🇹Italy· Sicily

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 60 min
Total: 80 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 420 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

250 g Wheat berries — whole grain wheat, soaked overnight
400 g sheep's ricotta — fresh and well drained
140 g caster sugar — fine
60 g dark chocolate chips — or chopped dark chocolate
50 g candied orange peel — finely diced
50 g zuccata (candied pumpkin) — finely diced
½ tsp Ground cinnamon — for dusting
1 pinch Fine sea salt — for cooking water

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Fine mesh sieve
•Medium saucepan
•Wooden spoon
•Whisk

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 420 kcal
fat: 12 g
carbs: 68 g
fibre: 6 g
protein: 11 g
calories: 420 kcal

Instructions

1
Soak the wheat berries in cold water for twenty-four hours, changing the water once.
2
Drain and rinse the soaked wheat under cold running water.
3
Place the wheat in a saucepan, cover generously with cold water, and add a pinch of salt.
4
Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and simmer for fifty to sixty minutes until tender but chewy.
5
Drain the cooked wheat thoroughly in a sieve and let it cool completely to room temperature.
6
Pass the drained sheep's ricotta through a fine sieve into a bowl to make it silky.
7
Whisk the caster sugar into the ricotta until smooth, glossy, and fully dissolved.
8
Fold the cooled wheat berries gently into the sweetened ricotta cream.
9
Stir in the dark chocolate, candied orange peel, and diced zuccata until evenly distributed.
10
Spoon into individual dessert bowls and dust lightly with ground cinnamon before serving chilled.

Chef's tips

Drain the ricotta overnight in a fine sieve over a bowl so excess whey does not dilute the sweet cream. Ensure the cooked wheat is completely cold before mixing with the ricotta to prevent the cream from splitting.

Ingredient substitutions

sheep's ricotta → cow's milk ricotta, though the flavour will be milder and less rich
zuccata (candied pumpkin) → candied citron or extra candied orange peel

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within two days.

Reheating

Serve chilled or at cool room temperature; do not reheat this dish.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Skipping the long soaking step, which leaves the wheat berries tough and hard to digest.
•Mixing warm wheat into the ricotta, which melts the sugar and makes the cream watery.